The Catalyst
by Darkfyyre
Summary: The Catalyst is the name of a song by Linkin Park as well as the inspiration for this two-part story. Characters are Slavic; Russia, Belarus, the Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.
1. Chapter 1

The cold light of a winter sunset filtered into the windows of the big house, the blood red colors staining the walls with false warmth. Silence lay heavily on the four residents of the house, and a sense of calm had settled. For three, however, this peace would come to an end by morning.

Eduard stared out the window of his room, his glasses reflecting the orange glare of the sun. He lifted a cup of tea to his mouth, closing his eyes to try and shut out the beautiful, but meaningless sight. Since he had been forced to work in the big estate, life had quickly become a painful thing to be endured. He had learned lessons that no one would understand under normal circumstances. Beauty was cruel and false. Pain was motivation to do work. Most importantly of all, fear of death, was loyalty to the head of the estate: Ivan Braginski.

He was not, however, alone in his misery. A younger man and a boy were with him, suffering the same fate as he. He pitied the boy, Raivius, who was so young physically, but old in the mind, and broken in spirit. The other man, Torris, had it the worst, however. Their sadistic Master had taken a liking to beating him, a sight Eduard had witnessed a thousand times. Miraculously, he had managed to avoid a similar fate, and had done his best to protect the boy as well.

"Eduard, what are you thinking about?" The thin, breaking voice of a boy shattered Eduard from his reveries. He turned to face Raivius, smiling.

"Nothing you need concern yourself with. It's getting late; you should get off to your room and get some rest. You'll need your strength for the day to come." He looked into the fearful blue eyes of the child, wondering if - and how – they would ever escape the bonds of their terrible Master, if only for the sake of the boy.

"Okay..." the blonde turned and left the room, walking up the stairs on silent feet, careful not to disturb the already sleeping master. When he was out of earshot, Eduard turned to Torris, a man with brown hair that came down to his shoulders. He had sad, defeated eyes, lacking just one thing: fear. Estonia frowned, worried.

"We're going to die here, aren't we?" Torris spoke in a soft, trembling voice, void of life. Eduard's eyes widened.

"Don't think that way. We'll make it out of here, somehow." He sighed, trying to figure out how to keep the broken people of the house together. "You need some rest too. We both do."

Morning descended far too quickly on the household for the comforts of the three who worked there. In a matter of minutes, the Master of the household would bang on their doors to wake them for their daily routine. Eduard was already awake, wondering what would become of them. Would they ever see their families again? Once upon a time, he had lived with his family in Estonia, but no longer. Torris had lived in Lithuania, and Raivius was from Latvia. When they had first met, they could not speak to each other, for they did not know the language of the other. It was only the kindness of one inhabitant of the house that brought them together.

"Hello, Eduard? Good morning!" the muffled, thickly accented voice of a female called out from the other side of the door. The Master was not the only one living here; he had two sisters, Natalya and Yekaterina. The two were polar opposites, and Eduard was glad it was Yekaterina waking them today.

It was Yekaterina who had taught them Russian, allowing them to speak with each other for the first time. Eduard smiled.

"I'm up, Yekaterina. Please tell Mr. Braginski I'll be down in a moment."

"Alright. The others area already up, just so you know." He heard her footsteps fading as she walked away. Just a few more minutes of solitude... then he would return to the tortuous world he called home.

Eduard made his way to the dining room, smoothing out his old suit as best he could.

"Ah, good, the good-for-nothing lump's finally here. Vermin, make me some breakfast." It was the Master's beautiful younger sister, Natalya, who spoke. She had long, white-gold hair that fell to her waist. Her eyes betrayed her seemingly innocent face, for they were brimming with malicious intent. Beauty was false and cruel, indeed.

The day went on in silence. Eduard had not yet seen the Master or Raivius, which was worrying. The house was very big, and at times the three would not see each other until the end of the day.

"TORRIS!" Eduard froze as the bellowing voice of the Master rang out through the house. He crept down the hall, following the sound of the shouting.

"I-I'm sorry; I'm j-just so t-tired I-" Torris was saying, his back pressed to a wall, his green eyes now wild and shining in terror. He looked like an animal, trapped with no escape.

"So you thought it okay get _lazy_ with your work, oh? I will teach you now the consequences of your actions... or rather, the lack thereof." Ivan gripped Torris by the arm, roughly pulling him from the room. Eduard ducked into a doorframe as Ivan swept past, dragging Torris behind him. Eduard saw the ache in his eyes, eyes that were glazing over already as adrenaline raced through his veins.

_Pain is motivation to do work..._ Eduard sighed to himself. He didn't want to live this way. _God, where are you now?_

Noon came and went. The sun was setting once more, ending another day. He had so far avoided incident with the master and his younger sister, but he felt this could not last. He walked into one of the many rooms to find Raivius, sweeping the floor with a modified broom that fit his height.

"Hello," Raivius nodded to him, giving him a small smile. "Torris...?"

"I don't know." Eduard shook his head.

"We should find him and help him!" Raivius stated boldly. Eduard paused, his eyes turning to face the boy.

"Are you mad? The Master would have our heads! Besides, what could we help him with?" Eduard looked about warily, listening for any signs of someone approaching. He didn't want the Master or Natalya hearing such a conversation as this.

"I've found a first aid kit. It was under Yeka's bed. We could sneak it to his room tonight." Raivius's eyes shone brightly, a frail hope floating through them. He could scarcely say no, however the risks were great.

After a moment of thought, he finally agreed. "Okay, but we gotta be careful. Meet me in the hall at eight, okay?"

Raivius nodded, then, seeing as he was done sweeping, he left.

Night had fallen. Eduard slowly rose from his bed, put on his glasses, then crept out to the darkened hallway. A few moments later, Raivius's door opened. It was just a few yards from where Eduard crouched, and he was about to call out softly when the door of Natalya burst open.

"Raivius! Why are you awake?" She loomed over him, her eyes narrowed and fierce. "What's that you got?" Raivius clutched the box of medical supplies to his chest, shrinking away from her. "Give me that!" She snatched it away from him, her eyes widening as she realized what he was trying to do.

"P-please, Torris needs help! Just l-let me give this t-to him, I-"

"You've been a _bad boy, _little Raivius. You know you're not supposed to interfere with Ivan's _punishments._ Now I'm going to have to give you one of my own..." She drew a knife from some hidden pocket in her night gown. She went everywhere with the weapon, making her deadly no matter where she was.

Raivius let out a small shriek, about to scream, but Natalya grabbed him by the throat. "Shush, babushka. I will end this quickly, I promise." Eduard's eyes widened, and without thinking, he dashed forward just as the knife came down. His body slammed into Raivius, Natalya's hand losing its purchase around his neck as he was shoved aside. Eduard caught himself just before he fell onto Raivius. At first, everything seemed to be fine.

"Eduard! You're... you're bleeding!" Raivius's voice was high and shaking. Natalya kicked Eduard side wards, and he let out a gasp of pain as her foot made contact with the stab wound he had received in his side.

"Idiot. Now you're all in trouble." She stood over them, grinning psychotically. "I suppose I must get brother. He's going to kill you!" She sang the last words happily, before skipping off to the Master's Chambers.

"Raivius, get Torris, and run. Get out of here. I don't care where you two go, but you need to go, now!" He cringed, the effort of speech making the pain in his side grow worse.

"But, what about you? You're going to be killed!" Eduard smiled grimly.

"At this point, what have I to live for?" He thought to himself the lessons he had learned throughout his stay in the big house.

_Fear of death is loyalty to the Master..._ _what a wonderful job I've done of sticking to that..._

"I won't leave you here!" the blonde boy cried, clutching Eduard's hand, but he was shaken away.

"If you really want to help me, then leave now!" Raivius hesitated. There was a commotion heard on the floor above them. The Master was coming. _"Now, Raivius!"_ With a last desperate glance, Raivius dashed away, scooping up the first aid as he darted down the hall to Torris's room.

_I'm going to die here... _Eduard thought to himself, almost in ecstasy. _Finally, I will be freed..._

"_God bless us everyone__  
><em>_we're a broken people living under loaded gun__  
><em>_And it can't be outfought__  
><em>_can't be outdone__  
><em>_It can't out matched__  
><em>_It can't be outrun"_

Darkness began to fill his vision. He was dimly aware of two figures racing past him. He thought he heard the sound of the front door slamming. Then, two more figures approached him. A shot. Then nothing. For Eduard, it was over. For two fearful souls, it had only just begun...


	2. Chapter 2

Morning light fell across the snow coated clearing, refracting blindingly into the eyes of a man and a boy, who were huddled together under the ice laden branches of a large evergreen tree. The man slowly opened his emerald blue eyes, eyes that were red and puffy from the salty tears he had shed the previous night. His name was Torris, and the boy, Raivius. The boy shivered, and the man pulled him closer. He recalled the events that that had brought them both to such an unfortunate circumstance...

_Torris lay, facedown on his mattress, clutching the blood-stained white sheets in agony. His eyes were wide with the pain, the pupils contracted so tight they could hardly be seen in the sea of green suffering and fear. He ran a hand through his long brown hair, gingerly resting his fingertips on a large knot at the back of his head. He cringed at the touch, tightening his grip on the fabric of his bed as the room suddenly turned. He could form no thoughts of self-pity or even anger; the pain was so great.__  
><em>_  
><em>_Silence wrapped him in a fragile veil of comfort, and he drifted in and out of consciousness. Then, just as a heavier darkness began to claim his mind, he heard a shout from the hall, followed by a loud thump as what sounded like a body hit the hardwood floor of the house. He stiffened slightly, his senses suddenly fully alert. He heard the frighteningly musical voice of Natalya as she breezed past his door. He strained his ears, trying to catch her words, but she was gone.  
><em>_  
><em>_Suddenly, the door burst open, the small form of Raivius standing there, his terrified face framed by shadows.  
><em>_  
><em>_"Torris, we got to get out of here! We need to run away; get as far away from this place as possible..." The boy swept to his bedside, and took the other man's hand. "Come; before we're all killed!"  
><em>_  
><em>_Torris gritted his teeth, sitting up as best he could. The lashes on his back screamed in protest, but he ignored it. Something in the boy's eyes... told him something was very wrong indeed. He only had time to grab a coat before Raivius grabbed his arm and pulled him out. Once in the hall, Torris gasped at the sight before him.  
><em>_  
><em>_"Eduard!" he gasped, distraught by the amount of blood that had pooled about his limp body.  
><em>_  
><em>_"Torris, we can't stay and help him... he told me to take you and run. I want to grant his dying wishes." Torris stared down at the little blonde child before him, who's bright blue eyes flashed with understanding deeper than any boy his age. It was both startling, and saddening. In his short life, he had learnt much. Too much.  
><em>_  
><em>_Raivius took Torris's hand, and the two ran past their fallen comrade, driven by the fear of the consequences they were sure to face were they to be caught. Into the night they fled, the cold, the darkness, the sheer emptiness of the Godless world they had been brought to swallowing them up mercilessly. They ran and ran, not once looking back, running until they could only stumble, then stumbling until they had sunk to their knees in exhaustion, before finally crawling under the black arching boughs of a fir tree. They had sat there, silently crying, not wanting to speak for fear of the things that lurked within the night..._

"Torris," Torris snapped back to the present, suddenly aware of the tears that were sliding down his cheeks. "Torris, do not cry; we need to keep going. We need to find food and shelter, and we must not let our loss bring us down... we would only shame the spirit of Eduard by doing so. He wants us to live, and that's what we're going to do." Raivius looked up at him, his crackling icy eyes shining in determination. Torris placed a hand on the boy's messy hair, smiling.

"You're right. We will make better time today, now that there is light. Come, we shall find a place to stay and a meal to eat." He stood, groaning at the soreness in his body and the cold-numbed pain in his wounds.

"Will you be okay?" Raivius stood beside him, placing a small hand on his arm worriedly. His fingers were deathly pale, and ice-cold.

"Yes, I will; don't worry about me." He wrapped an arm around him, and the two set off through the thinly wooded expanse of snow covered ground before them.

***

_The clock had just struck midnight, and a tense atmosphere filled the vast, empty halls of the big house. In a room nestled within a small turret, a man and a woman sat in silence, their faces grim. Before them lay a body, covered up by a thin white sheet.  
><em>_  
><em>_"Brother," the women spoke, a questioning tone edging her voice. "Do you wish me to go after them?" She looked up at his face, her eyes sparkling with malice.  
><em>_  
><em>_"Do you think you could find them, Natalya?" The tall man asked, bringing a hand through his short, silver-gray hair. He was not an old man, for his hair had always been this color, even from birth.  
><em>_  
><em>_"Oh, Brother, I could find them and kill them if you would let me!" She pleaded, grinning from ear to ear.  
><em>_  
><em>_"I would like them back alive, thank you." He growled. "You should head out for the town; that's where they'll likely end up. Take Гром* and the hunting dogs with you. They might be useful."  
><em>_  
><em>_"Yes, dear Brother. Worry not; I will not fail you." She stood, dusting off her dress a bit, before giving her brother one last leering grin and leaving._

***

Several hours had passed. Torris and Raivius had discovered a dirt road just minutes into their travel, and were now following it. Already, they could see a small town just about a mile away.

"How are we supposed to get food?" Raivius asked suddenly. "We have no money." Torris stiffened, realizing he was right.

"I don't know. I'll think of something when we get there. Perhaps we can find a job..." Torris was not, however, sure he would be able to handle a job, no matter how little effort it required. He was exhausted, hungry, and in great pain.

They reached the village in just under an hour, encouraged by the smell of food that drifted from unknown sources. They stumbled on, eventually reaching a bazaar, filled with vendors of every kind.

"Wow! This place is amazing!" Raivius laughed, pointing at man with some strange animals. "What do you think those are?"

"I don't know," one shrieked at them as they walked past, and Torris was startled at how human it almost was; the only difference being a long, thin tail. He shuddered. "I don't really want to find out, either."

"I wish I could have one..." Raivius said longingly.

"No, Raivius, we have no money, or any need for one of those... things." Torris pulled the boy along, away from the freakish, wide-eyed smirks of the furry creatures.

Raivius quickly got over the strange animals, and occupied himself with observing everything around him. It was a wonderful place, full of people dressed in all manner of attires; men and women with foreign accents and bizarre languages hawked their goods from every stall, bargaining over prices, arguing with customers, or just chatting about the news. All of it was strange and wonderfully new to him, and he desperately wanted a piece of it all...

His thoughts turned to taking something, just a small thing that no one would notice were it to disappear. His childish, greedy nature took a sudden hold of him, and he looked at the selection of products lustfully. While Torris looked ahead, undistracted, Raivius darted for a nearby stall selling beaded things. They were all so beautiful...

He snatched at a small bracelet, curling his fingers around the hemp that held it together. Turning to make a run for it, his heart plummeted as a hand wrapped around his slender arm.

"And where do you think you're going, little thief?" He was roughly twisted about, and in seconds he was staring up at the scowling face of an elderly woman. She had dark skin and silvered hair, and dark, almost black eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, I just-" he stammered, but she would not hear any of it.

"This boy tried to steal from me! Who is in charge of him, hm? Where are your parents?" She glared down at him, but Raivius was no longer listening.

_Where are your parents?_ The question bounced around in his head.

"Ma'am... I don't know. I don't know where they are." Before she could say anymore, he pulled free of her grasp and ran.

"Get back here!" Torris looked up at the sound of a shout, only to realize Raivius was no longer by his side.

"Raivius!" Torris pushed past the throng of people to find the woman who was shouting. "Excuse me, miss, but did you just see a small boy with blonde hair and blue eyes?"

"Is he yours? He just took off with some of my merchandise! Honestly, you'd better keep better track of your children!" Torris took a step back, flustered.

"I beg your pardon; he's not my son. We're traveling together... we don't have anything to call our own save the clothes on our backs. I'm so sorry he stole from you. He hasn't been out of the mansion for years..." Torris looked down at her apologetically. "I promise I'll find him and give you back whatever he took."

"You say you have nothing, yet you tell me you just came from a mansion? Get your story straight, young man!" She hissed. Torris ground his teeth together, suddenly angry.

"We never wanted to live in a mansion. Even a fancy cage, is still a cage." He turned and swept away, shoving past those who had gathered to watch.

_Raivius! What have you gotten yourself into this time?_

From across the path, a woman with long, white-gold hair watched his progress with cold, calculating, violet-blue eyes. The corners of her mouth pulled up slightly, a small smile crossing her face.

"Alright, Torris... it's time you came back to your cage, like a good little pet." She set off into the crowd, slipping past the other folk with ease. The young man had a soft spot for her, she knew, and she would use this to her advantage...

Soon, she had caught up to him. She followed him for a few moments, just observing his behavior, before reaching out to wrap her arms around his waist.

"Hello, Torris," she whispered into his ear. He stumbled to a halt, his body stiffening. He turned to look at her with wild, green eyes.

"Natalya!" He gasped, and tried to struggle away.

"Hush, my babushka... I'm not here to take you away. I didn't get to say goodbye to you! Did you think I would let you slip away so easily?" She cooed soothingly, hugging him tighter and resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Y-you're not going to bring me back to the mansion?" He asked carefully, looking at the ground thoughtfully, and feeling warmer in her arms. His stomach growled loudly.

"Oh, dear, it sounds like you're hungry! You poor thing. No, of course I won't! You fought hard to get out, and you won; who am I to change that? You deserve some freedom." She took his hand, and smiled at him. "Come, I'll get you something to eat and a nice, warm scarf to keep you warm. Okay?"

Torris looked into her eyes, searching for any trace of perfidy, but found none. "Yeah, but I need to find Raivius; he ran off because he stole something, and I-" He began, but was cut off by Natalya.

"He stole something? Oh, my. So young and already turning to crime. We'll find him, soon enough. But first, you must get some food. You look dead beat, and I wouldn't want you passing out in a place like this." She pulled him along before he could object, steadily leading him to a large inn.

"Did you really come all this way for me, Natalya?" Torris suddenly asked. The thought excited him. He had always thought she hated him, but perhaps that was all a front for her brother.

"Of course, my dear..." She stopped at the door, opening it and gesturing for him to walk inside. "Let's get you something good to eat and drink, then you can rest. I'll go find Raivius, okay?" Torris walked in, nodding numbly.

"Thank you," he sat down at a table, his eyes adjusting to the dim lighting of the building. Natalya walked in after him, closed the door, then bolted it. Torris whipped around.

"Oh, just to be safe. Some people in this town are more inclined to the Braginski name, and might want to turn you in. We wouldn't want _that_, right?" she smiled sweetly, slowly making her way towards him and resting a hand on his face. "I'll be right back with some food and a warm scarf, okay?" She disappeared through another door, closing it behind her with a dull thud.

Torris looked around. There were no windows; the only light were a few candles perched in the rafters. A rank smell drifted by every once in a while, but he could not pinpoint its source. The building was made of solid oak timbers, which smelled sweetly of varnish. Across the room, an elderly women strode back and fourth behind a bar, her weathered hands endlessly polishing the counter and shining glasses. She never once looked up at him, and in turn he said nothing to her. With one last sniff of the air and glance at the ceiling, he settled down to wait for Natalya's return.

***

Ravius no longer knew where he was or even from which direction he'd come from. He was so exhausted, he could barely make the effort to pick himself up from where he had fallen in the alley between two hulking buildings. It was all he could do to drag himself to the wall, in an effort to stay out of sight. He stared down at the bejeweled thing in his hand, and thrust it away from himself in disgust. He had been foolish to think he needed such a thing, and now it had only caused him trouble. He knew not where Torris was, and the lack of such knowledge caused his stomach to churn more fiercely than any hunger pangs. Guilt lay heavy upon him, and defeat dragged him down even further. Despite all this, he knew if he didn't get up soon, he would never have the strength to do so again.

Laboriously, his back pressed against the brick wall, he pushed himself upwards, his legs trembling from the effort. He paused to gasp for breath, leaning heavily against the wall, each exhalation sending another puff of pale white into the frosty air. Struggling to keep upright, he stumbled back out into the narrow street, repeating his goal over and over to himself to remind himself of all that Eduard had died for.

_Your death won't be in vain, I promise._ Remembering his friends untimely death filled him with a new strength, and he pushed on into the town. He kept his eyes focused on the ground below him, his feet feebly navigating the uneven cobblestones to avoid another fall. If his body hit the ground again... he would never walk again. With his gaze fixed downward, he didn't see the man walking towards him. Similarly, the other man, who towered over the boy, didn't see the collision coming.

"Su-san, watch where you're-" Raivius fell backwards with a soft cry, landing painfully on the seat of his pants. A shock ran up his spine, and he gritted his teeth in defeat. The small voice belonged to the taller man's companion, a young man with silky blonde hair and sky blue eyes. He knelt down to help Raivius.

"Sorry," mumbled the taller one, who also had blue eyes and blonde hair, though it was much shorter. He wore rectangular glasses and a grimace upon his face, and a small shiver of fear coursed across Raivius's skin.

"No, I'm sorry, I..." Raivius trailed off as his head spun from the pain, the hunger, the tiredness, and the guilt that was beginning to overcome his mind. Sound and sight melted away for a few moments.

"Are you all right?" the man who had stooped down asked worriedly. "Gosh! You look in awful shape for a boy your age!"

"I haven't eaten... in a long time." Raivius managed to say. Actually, it felt like years since the last time he had seen a cold bowl of porridge.

"You poor thing! Berwald, we should help him. He looks about ready to fall apart, right here on the street!" he turned back to Raivius. "What's your name?"

"Raivius," he breathed, as the man hauled him to his feet. "You?"

"I'm Tino, and this is my companion Berwald. You don't mind if he carries you, do you? You look like you couldn't take another step!"

Raivius just smiled in gratitude, and allowed himself to be swept into Berwald's arms.

The two bought him food, water, and warm clothes, and finally Raivius explained who exactly he was and what he was doing.

"Do you know about the Braginski Estate?" he asked tentatively. Tino's eyes grew wide.

"Yes... I do."

"Well... I used to work there, though I never wanted to. I stayed there with two others... Torris and..." he broke off, tears welling up in his eyes as he remembered Eduard's comforting face. "...and Eduard. The Master is a cruel man, and he did horrible things to us. He would beat Torris, he doubled my work load because I was a boy; Eduard was the best off of all of us... for while, that is."

"So what 'appened?" Berwald pressed in his oddly slurred accent.

"Well... it was a night like many others. Torris... he got whipped, and normally there isn't anything we can do about it, but this time I had stolen some medical supplies. The plan was for Eduard and I to go to him in the middle of the night, but... we got caught. Eduard got stabbed... I... he told me too... and, oh God..." Raivius broke down then, barely able to finish. "He told me to get Torris and run. We... we had to run away. And... and now, Eduard's dead." Raivius took a shuddering breath, quickly wiping away the tears from the corners of his bright blue eyes.

"Oh... I'm so sorry for your loss. But... where's Torris?" Tino patted his back comfortingly, a sad smile upon his face, but his eyes betraying the deep concern he felt.

"I lost him in the bazaar. You have to help me find him! I don't know what I'd do if I lost him, too..."

***

Natalya watched Raivius and his companions with hungry yet frustrated eyes. Her once helpless target now had two very able bodied men with him, and though Torris had been easy, Raivius was not as likely to trust her, no matter what she said. She would have to lead them to her... that way, she would have her dogs and the horse available to her disposal. Grinning, she slipped away, a plan already set into her mind.

"You say you are looking for a young man with long brown hair and green eyes?" the vendor repeated the question, and Raivius nodded eagerly. The man smiled excitedly. "Yes! I do believe I did see him. He went to the inn just down the street. You couldn't miss it; it's the only building without windows." Tino thanked him, and the three started to leave, but the vendor suddenly grabbed Berwald's sleeve. Berwald raised a fist, but the vendor began to speak rapidly in Raivius's very tongue. "I must warn you, though... I was paid to direct you there. There is a women who wishes you ill; she wants you to go there on purpose. Your friend is there, too, but he is a fool and went there on his own volition. Please, be alert." Then he turned away, back to his customers.

"What did he want?" Tino asked fearfully.

"It's a trap." Raivius's blood had turned cold. It had to be Natalya; no other women would be after Torris and he, and no other women could so easily fool his friend.

"So... what?" Berwald asked, crossing his arms impatiently. "He's not there?"

"No, he is, but... this is Natalya we're talking about. She's from the estate, and she'd do anything for the Master, who's her brother. Also, Torris has always liked her... for whatever reason. We need to get him out of there."

"What are we going to do?" Tino fidgeted nervously as they walked down the street towards the dark inn.

"Act like y' don't know, 'k? I'll handle the rest." Berwald tried the door, but it was locked. He banged on the wood, and hurried, muffled footsteps approached them from inside. The sound of a heavy bolt sliding aside came through, and the door was thrust open, nearly taking out Tino. A elderly women stood there, and smiled warmly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry; I wasn't expecting many visitors. Come right in!" she waved them inside, and bustled off after bolting the door again. She vanished behind another door, her footsteps fading off and she walked down a concealed hall.

"Raivius!" Torris jumped up from his table, a demolished plate sitting before him. A long red scarf was wrapped around his neck.

"Torris! I'm sorry I ran off!" they embraced briefly, before Raivius pulled away, urgency in his manor. Torris's smile melted into confusion.

"Hey, what's-" he was cut off as the other door burst open to the sound of dogs barking and snarling.

"Oh, goody; looks like I was able to get both of you. You make it so _easy_, you know? You're so gullible, and you're so foolish... and now, it's time you came back to your little 'fancy cage' where you belong, hm?" Natalya issued an order in Russian, and the dogs rushed forward.

Torris and Raivius cowered instinctively, but Berwald had been anticipating this. Two shots rang out. Two bodies hit the floor. The room went silent as the howling ceased, the dying breaths of the dogs allowing only a soft whine to be their last sounds.

Natalya, on the other hand, had expected anything but this, and it infuriated her. "You!" she shrieked, lunging forward with her dagger drawn. She lurched towards Torris, the closest body to her.

_Kill! Kill! Kill!_ the single word swirled about her head, deafening all other sounds. Berwald was faster. The butt of his gun cracked against the back of her skull, and she sank to the ground, the knife falling from her hand and sinking into the floorboards inches from Torris's feet.

"Told y' I'd take care a it, didn't I?" Berwald muttered, his face calm as a summer morning, if not a bit more frightening.

"Is... is she dead?" Tino asked quaveringly. Berwald shook his head.

"I could never kill a person. I'm not like her." he looked down distastefully at her limp form splayed across the floor. A small trickle of blood ran down her neck from the point of impact, but her back still rose and fell gently, signalling the life she still held.

"Let's get out of here." Raivius said slowly, and the four quietly left the inn and its occupants without another word.

They walked down the street in silence for a while, before Tino finally spoke up.

"Why don't you stay with us?" Torris and Raivius looked up, shocked. Tino continued hurriedly. "We don't live here; we're from Sweden. We were going to go back tomorrow, actually. You could escape this place, and be free of the Braginski family forever! I mean..." he looked shyly up at Berwald, "...if it's okay with you."

"'Course it's okay." the smallest hint of a smile twitched his lips, making Torris's stomach flutter with hope.

"Are you serious?" Raivius chirped excitedly. Berwald nodded, and Tino laughed happily. Raivius threw his arms around the two of them, taking them by surprise. "Thank you! Thank you so much! That would mean so much to me... to us."

"It's settled then. Tomorrow... you'll sail with us to your new life." Berwald said, looking past the horizon to the ocean that shimmered in the far distance. "Welcome to your new family."


End file.
